Haider Ali

Started: He took up the sport seriously in 2004. (paralympic.org, 14 Jul 2020) Reason: "I love sports. It is a big source of rehabilitation, especially for Para athletes. I was very much fond of athletics since a very young age. It was only during my college days that I was introduced to the sport with proper guidance. And eventually I started bunking my classes to attend training sessions for long jump and discus throw sessions. In January 2006, the trials for the Pakistan national Para athletics team were held in Islamabad and I eventually made it to the team. There was no looking back after that." (paralympic.org, 14 Jul 2020; Athlete, 08 Nov 2019) Milestones: He won Pakistan's first medal in any sport at the Paralympic Games by claiming silver in the F37/38 long jump at the 2008 Games in Beijing. At the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, he became the first athlete representing Pakistan to win more than one Paralympic medal when he secured bronze in the T37 long jump. He became Pakistan's first Paralympic gold medallist by winning the F37 discus title at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. (SportsDeskOnline, 25 Feb 2024; paralympic.org, 14 Jul 2020) Awards: He was Pakistan's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (medias.paris2024.org, 28 Aug 2024) He was flag bearer for Pakistan at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (myinfo.rio2016.com, 06 Sep 2016) Additional Info: EXPOSURE Ahead of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, he is the only competitor representing Pakistan to have finished on the podium at the Games. He has three Paralympic medals in total, having won silver in the F37/38 long jump at the 2008 Games in Beijing, bronze in the T37 long jump at Rio 2016, and gold in the F37 discus throw at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. "That [silver] medal gave me recognition and motivation to believe in myself and my dreams. Pakistan has thousands of national Para athletes aspiring to become a Paralympic medallist like me." (paralympic.org, 05 Sep 2021) OCCUPATION He has worked as a line superintendent at the Water and Power Development Authority [WAPDA] in Pakistan. (WAPDA Facebook page, 26 Oct 2023; paralympic.org, 05 Sep 2021)